--- title: "Managed IT services by contract only | DataRoad IT" description: "Calling a technician only when things break costs more: no history, no prevention, no predictable cost. Managed IT services by contract. No obligation." language: en url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-services-contract-no-one-off-callouts/ source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-services-contract-no-one-off-callouts/ publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal --- > Calling a technician only when things break costs more: no history, no prevention, no predictable cost. Managed IT services by contract. No obligation. # Managed IT services by contract only: why there is no ad hoc At a glance For decision-makers short on time. - 01 DataRoad provides managed IT only under contract, to companies with over 10 workstations. - 02 The one-off model loses history, does not prevent and earns more when there are more faults. - 03 IT Unlimited: Essential (remote and phone), Premium (unlimited on site), Premium 365 (24/7). - 04 Annual contract, automatic renewal, no lock-in, no tie-in. ### In this article One-off support looks cheap until the day the server stops on a Monday morning and nobody knows what is on it. That is why DataRoad turns down one-off call-outs. We provide **managed IT services** only under contract, and only to companies with more than 10 workstations. The reason is practical: only under contract can we deliver the service level we sign up to, and it is the model that best protects your business over the years. ## What does calling someone only when things break really cost? The advantage is only apparent: you pay only when you need it. The real cost lies in what nobody does between two calls. - **Starting blind** The engineer does not know the server already failed in March, that the second-floor printer is on another network or where the router password is. The first half hour to an hour goes on discovering the environment, and you are billed for it. - **Problems found late** Unapplied patches, a degrading disk, a backup that stopped three weeks ago. Nobody watches because nobody is paid to. The failure arrives at the worst moment, often with data at risk. - **A patched-up network** Every visit brings another person with other habits. Two years later, nobody knows the whole infrastructure and growing becomes expensive and risky. - **Misaligned interests** In the one-off model, the provider bills more when there are more faults. With a fixed fee it is the reverse: every failure avoided is work saved. **Think of a family doctor:** they know your history, carry out check-ups and treat things before they get worse. One-off support is A&E: it resolves the crisis and nobody follows the patient afterwards. ## One-off or IT Unlimited: what changes for the company? | Criterion | One-off call-out | IT Unlimited under contract | | --- | --- | --- | | Knowledge of the infrastructure | Starts again with every visit | A fixed team, with documentation and history | | Prevention | None | Patches, oversight and continuous alerts | | Speed | Whenever there is a gap in the diary | Immediate response, deadline set in the contract | | Budget | Impossible to predict | Fixed monthly fee | | Protection | Only after the incident | Managed firewalls, protected endpoints, 2FA/MFA, alerting | | What the provider wants | More faults | Zero faults | | New employees | Each workstation is a separate request | Part of the usual process | The comparison with a traditional outsourcing retainer is on another page: [IT Unlimited versus the traditional retainer](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-vs-hour-bank-costs/). ## Why is the threshold 10 workstations? Above 10 workstations there is real infrastructure: a server or cloud services, a network with several devices, client data and total dependence on email and applications. It stops being "a PC that breaks". Focusing on this profile keeps processes, tools and team at the level that hotels, clinics, embassies and multinationals demand. For the same reason we do not accept subcontracting or small stand-alone jobs. We work with the end client and answer for the whole. ## Which plan should you choose, and what does each include? [IT Unlimited](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-services/) is a monthly fee with three tiers. All three include managed firewalls, sensors, endpoint protection, 2FA/MFA and monitoring with alerting. - **[Essential](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-essential-remote-managed-it/)** From 10 workstations, remote and telephone support only, no on-site visits. It suits teams that live in the cloud or are spread out. - **[Premium](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-premium-on-site-support/)** Essential plus unlimited on-site visits included. For those with an office, a server and a physical network. - **[Premium 365](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/premium-365-24-7-managed-it/)** Premium plus nights, weekends and bank holidays. It is the only plan with 24/7 support and monitoring, designed for hotels, clinics and continuous operations. A one-year contract, automatic renewal, no tie-in. Deadlines and responsibilities are on paper: see [DataRoad's SLAs](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-it-sla-portugal/). If you ever want to change, the handover of credentials and documentation follows clear rules, explained in [the exit and data clauses to demand in an IT contract](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/msp-contract-exit-clauses-access-data/). ## What does a ten-year contract deliver? Ventask, with more than 350 workstations, has been a DataRoad client since 2016. Under IT Unlimited, DataRoad looks after the entire network, the corporate firewalls, device protection, secure remote access and Wi-Fi, with proactive monitoring and alerts. It is what one-off support never delivers: a team that knows every device, follows the infrastructure year after year and plans its evolution instead of fighting fires. Read the [Ventask story](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ventask-managed-firewalls-350-workstations/). ## What if I only need help now and then? That phrase usually hides one of two situations: - **A very small company**: with fewer than 10 workstations, we are not the right partner, and we prefer to say so from the outset. - **A cost never measured**: downtime, team hours, rushed recoveries. Once the sums are done, "now and then" often works out more expensive than the fee. The calculation is in [the cost of an hour of downtime in a 20-workstation company](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/cost-of-it-downtime-calculation/). ## Straight answers ### Will you do a one-off job if I pay separately? No. Work outside a contract is outside DataRoad's scope, including small tasks such as installing a single network point. ### How long does the contract last? One year, with automatic renewal and has no lock-in to leave. There is no tie-in. ### Does Essential include on-site visits? No. Essential is remote and telephone support only. On-site support starts with Premium. ### What does IT Unlimited cost? It depends on workstations, servers, network and plan: from €395, €750 or €1,200 per month + VAT. The figure is fixed after a diagnosis, so it matches what actually exists. ## Next step: a fixed proposal in 10 working days We diagnose your infrastructure and deliver a fixed monthly fee, a recommended plan and a written SLA. No commitment. **More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.** Call +351 211 459 950 * or write to sales@dataroad.pt. **Call to a Portuguese landline.* Chosen by respected and international companies ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews DataRoad ## Related articles [IT UnlimitedHow to measure the quality of your IT provider’s supportAlmost every IT provider says it responds quickly. Few show how they measure it. These are the five signals a decision-maker can ask for and…3 November 2026 · 2 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/how-to-measure-it-support-quality-provider/)[IT UnlimitedFunding network and IT infrastructure in 2026/2027: a CFO guideThere is no grant open for equipment alone. 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Surplus concurrent channels, missing maintenance and a network …15 August 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ip-phone-system-cost-comparison/)[IT UnlimitedIP phone system: on-site, IP PBX or cloud? How to decideThe wrong phone system costs missed calls and bills that double. And the most expensive mistake is usually in the internal network, not the …15 August 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/business-ip-phone-system-pbx-cloud/) Numbers you can verify **11** years in business **232** clients **< 10 min** average response time **15+** IT vendor certifications **10+** Countries with clients supported **5.0 ★** 52 Google reviews Transparency ## What many providers hide, we publish. [See plans and prices →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/it-unlimited/) - **Prices upfront** Essential from €395/month + VAT, Premium from €750 and Premium 365 from €1,200. - **No lock-in** Annual contract, no lock-in and no joining fees. - **Everything in writing** What is included, the scope and the price, before you sign. - **Support without counted hours** Remote and phone in every plan; on-site support from Premium. Partners and certifications DataRoad · Managed IT for business ## One StepAhead of IT. One partner accountable for all of your company’s IT, with response times written into the contract and a monthly fee that does not move. - **11** years in business, since 2015 - **PT · EU · US** remote and on-site support - **0** DataRoad security incidents in 11 years We do **IT** right. DataRoad IT Unlimited ## Operational continuity is not luck. It is method and contract. IT Unlimited reduces risk and shows in writing what changed. [Request a proposal, no commitment →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#contact)+351 211 459 950 **Call to a Portuguese landline · More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support[Not sure what you need? Talk to the assistant →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#assistente) --- Versão HTML desta página: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-services-contract-no-one-off-callouts/